Merchandising display rack



Nov. 24, 1936.

G. w. FAY

MERCHANDISING DISPLAY RACK Filed Jan. 23, 1936 Patented Nov. 24, 1936UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a rack for canned goods for use in displayingthe same on a store counter.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a rack which will beadjustable and flexible and yet light and durable.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. l is aperspective View of a loaded rack constructed in accordance with thisinvention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the rack, and

Fig. 3 is a view of the flexible member which holds the two parts of therack together and permits the adjustment.

The purpose of this rack is to receive canned goods as indicated indotted lines in Fig. 1 in order that they may be displayed on thecounter and to provide means by which several cans can be taken to thecounter and removed from it as one article. The cans are stacked on therack in horizontal position, which tends to lock the cans in rigidformation, so that the rack full of cans will not collapse. The base ofthe rack is concealed by the cans lying on top of the wire, so that therack or support seems invisible.

The metal part of the rack consists of two pieces Ill and I l of wirebent to form two handles I2 and parallel legs which are intended to lieadjacent to each other, the handles, of course, being at opposite endsof the structure. The article is completed by a flexible member I3 ofrubber, elastic composition, leather or fabric. This may be in manyforms but in the form shown, particularly in Fig. 3, it is provided withtwo series of slits I4 or, if it is made of some less flexible materialthan the soft rubber, this may be replaced by slots of some littlewidth. The legs of the two halves of the frame are inserted throughthese slits so that one leg passes through the spaces made by thebending of the fabric I3 alternately between each two slits in onedirection and bending it in the other direction in the alternate spaces.Then the other leg is put through the same slits by alternating theoffset of the strips I5 which are formed between the slits I4. In thisway it will be seen that the two legs which lie adjacent to each otheron each side are held together and. yet will be slightly apart and thatthe member I3 constitutes a single means not only for holding the legsof the two parts together but for enabling them to be adjusted toincrease and decrease the length of the whole rack. They also serve tohold the rack in its adjusted position.

The rack is used as shown in Fig. 1 being adjusted to the proper lengthto hold the desired number of cans of fruit or vegetables or the like.It serves as a unit, as when lifted by the handles I2, it can be movedfrom one place to another on the counter or transported to or from thecounter with the canned goods in position. This can be done in spite ofthe flexibility of the member I3 because when lifted the ends of thelegs of the two members will descend only a short distance on account ofthe fact that the member I3 is made of a piece of rubber or similarmaterial of some strength or thickness and its flexibility, of course,is limited. This rack furnishes a long felt want in the matter ofkeeping canned goods displayed on counters in the proper position andfurnishing a convenient means for transporting them.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do notwish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than asset forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. As an article of manufacture, a rack for the purpose describedcomprising two wire frames, each consisting of two horizontal legs and avertical handle, said frames being located with the handles at oppositeends and each pair of legs projecting inwardly toward the handle of theother frame, and the four legs being arranged in pairs on opposite sideswith those of each pair being nearly in contact to constitute the sidesof a rack, and flexible strips of sheet material through which said legspass for adjustably holding said legs of the two pairs together at apoint between the handles.

2. As an article of manufacture, a rack comprising two horizontal legsextending inwardly from one end and two horizontal legs extendinginwardly from the other end of the rack and serving as a rest for cannedgoods and a piece of flexible sheet material having slits therethroughfor receiving said legs, in each case one leg passing over the strip ofsheet material between two slits and the adjacent leg passing under thesame strip.

3. A flexible sheet of material for holding a pair of wire frames inposition having two rows of transverse slits at each opposite endthrough which the wires can be inserted for the purpose described, eachrow consisting of four slits equally spaced apart.

GEORGE W. FAY.

